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Pineiro outstanding as Halos romp

Pineiro outstanding as Halos romp

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By Lyle Spencer
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MLB.com |

ANGELS 10, ROYALS 2at Tempe, Ariz.Monday, March 29

Angels at the plate: Third baseman Brandon Wood and shortstop Erick Aybar had huge games. Wood busted out with a triple, double and a walk, driving in two runs and scoring three times. Aybar, ablaze, banged four consecutive singles, scoring a run, driving in two and stealing a base. He has reached safely in 14 of his past 19 plate appearances with 11 hits in 16 at-bats. Jeff Mathis and Wood drilled back-to-back doubles against Royals closer Joakim Soria in the third. Mathis, who also walked and scored twice, beat out an infield hit for an RBI when Clay Fuller, who'd singled, scored from second. Juan Rivera doubled home a run, and Kendry Morales singled and had a sacrifice fly. Mike Trout, a 2009 first-round pick, doubled home a run, his second double in three Cactus League at-bats.

Royals at the plate: Scott Podsednik delivered the Royals' first hit with a leadoff double to left center in the sixth. In his first game since injuring his right ankle March 11, Rick Ankiel smacked an RBI double off the wall in center. Bryan Pena drove in the Royals' other run in the ninth. Kansas City finished with just four hits.

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Angels on the mound: Joel Pineiro, coming off five scoreless innings in his previous start, didn't allow a hit until Podsednik and Ankiel produced a run with doubles in the sixth, ending his stretch of 10 straight scoreless rounds. Going 6 2/3 innings, the longest outing of the spring by an Angels pitcher, Piniero issued two walks with the two hits and hit a batter while getting 13 ground-ball outs and two strikeouts. Brian Fuentes, who worked a perfect eighth, has yielded one earned run in 7 2/3 Cactus League innings.

Royals on the mound: Starter Kyle Farnsworth held the Angels scoreless with one hit in two innings, striking out one man. Soria, who hadn't allowed a run in five previous Cactus League innings that included only three hits and no walks allowed, was roughed up for four earned runs on four hits and a walk without getting an out. Matt Herges worked a scoreless inning. Juan Cruz yielded a run on two hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning. Lefty Dusty Hughes got five outs, yielding one hit with a strikeout.

Worth noting: Pineiro took a hit and RBI away from David DeJesus when he knocked down his line drive headed toward center field with two on and two outs. A diving stab by Howard Kendrick robbed Brayan Pena of a hit. Trey Hillman switched to Farnsworth as Monday's starter instead of Brian Bannister. The Royals manager wanted to get a look at Farnsworth in a starting situation and, Bannister had just faced the Angels. So Bannister stayed at the Royals' camp, throwing six innings, getting up to 82 pitches against the Padres' Triple-A team. He gave up one unearned run on four hits, walking one and striking out four. Second baseman Chris Getz was scratched from the lineup because of illness and was replaced by Irving Falu.

Cactus League records: Angels 9-14-2; Royals 12-11-3

Up next: All eyes will be on Angels southpaw Scott Kazmir when he returns to the mound on Tuesday at Tempe Diablo Stadium after missing a start with tightness in his left shoulder. Furnishing the opposition at 1:05 p.m. PT will be the Brewers. Kazmir began the spring with a right hamstring strain, but a rubdown cleared away the shoulder tightness, he said, and he felt strong in a 60-pitch power bullpen on Saturday. Kazmir will stay behind on Sunday to pitch in a camp game, hoping to get to six innings and 90 pitches in preparation for his projected start on April 9 against the A's in Anaheim.

Kyle Davies may or may not be in the Royals' rotation but he'll be the starter at 8:05 p.m. CT on Tuesday at Surprise against Cleveland, the third and final night game in Arizona. Davies is getting competition from Farnsworth as the No. 5 starter. Closer Joakim Soria, who pitched on Monday, is scheduled to work in back-to-back games for the first time. Also on the work list: Robinson Tejeda, Juan Cruz and Roman Colon. Mitch Talbot is the Indians' starter.

Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.